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Posted

Bowsprit and Booms

 

Steel’s formula for the bowsprit of a cutter would give a scale 304mm long and 8mm diameter. Looking at the photos of the model in RMG, the bowsprit is considerably shorter than the main boom so I have gone with the kit dimensions of 210mm and 6mm maximum diameter.

 

The fit is checked and required some further filing of the hull.

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The kit has an assembly of two PE brass rings ( not sure what they are called) mounted onto the forward end of the bowsprit for attachment of stays, shrouds, etc but looking at the model there appears to be a different arrangement that I will try to adopt. I am indebted to Tony tkay11 (apologies but I'm not sure how you do that @name insert) for posting his close-up photos of Trial. They will be of enormous help when it comes to rigging.

18th and early 19th Century cutter models - Nautical/Naval History - Model Ship World™

 

I took a similar approach to the main boom and driver boom, using the tapering given by Steel and the overall dimensions given in the kit..

The greatest diameter of the main boom is 1/3 of the way in from the outer end and tapers to 3.75mm and 3.3mm at the inner end.

The kit supplied jaws on the 1mm pear sheet now look too thin on my boom and also in comparison to the RMG model. I made a replacement by laminating three thickness of 1mm walnut strip.

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It looks a little rough in this shot but I have cleaned it up and used some acrylic filler which will be covered when I paint it black.

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I added cleats as shown in the kit plan but there are none shown on the RMG model. I will make a final decision on whether to keep them when I come to the rigging.

 

The driver boom was made up in the same manner as the main boom and new jaws made from the three layer walnut strip sanded back to match the 2.6mm diameter of the inner end.

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The iron bands are not present on the jaws of the booms but three trenails can clearly be seen in the RMG shots of the model.

 

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Thanks for looking in and all the likes

 

David

 

David

 

Previous Builds

HM Cutter Hunter Mamoli 1:74

Baltic Ketch Scotland - Corel 1:64

HMS Fly - Swan Class ship sloop - Victory models 1:64

HMS Diana - Artois Class Heavy Frigate - Caldercraft - 1:64

HM Cutter Trial 1790 - Vanguard Models - 1:64 

18th Century Merchantman Half Hull - NRG-1:48 

 

Current Build

HMS Speedy 1782 2023 Edition - Vanguard Models - 1:64

 

Posted

Great detailing and research David.  For the bowsprit, were these fixed inboard, by that I mean were they ever “run in” like the bowsprits of some fishing vessels (I’m thinking of the Nisha here). Or were Naval Cutters different?  

Andrew
Current builds:- HM Gun-brig Sparkler - Vanguard (1/64) 
HMAV Bounty - Caldercraft (1/64)

Completed (Kits):-

Vanguard Models (1/64) :HM Cutter Trial , Nisha - Brixham trawler

Caldercraft (1/64) :- HMS Orestes(Mars)HM Cutter Sherbourne

Paper Shipwright (1/250) :- TSS Earnslaw, Puffer Starlight

 

Posted

Thanks Andrew although I'm not exactly sure what you mean by 'run in' but In Trial, I can't see any sheaves or attachments that would enable this to be done. What was the purpose of running the bowsprit in and out?

 

David

David

 

Previous Builds

HM Cutter Hunter Mamoli 1:74

Baltic Ketch Scotland - Corel 1:64

HMS Fly - Swan Class ship sloop - Victory models 1:64

HMS Diana - Artois Class Heavy Frigate - Caldercraft - 1:64

HM Cutter Trial 1790 - Vanguard Models - 1:64 

18th Century Merchantman Half Hull - NRG-1:48 

 

Current Build

HMS Speedy 1782 2023 Edition - Vanguard Models - 1:64

 

Posted
19 hours ago, tkay11 said:

I just thought I'd take the opportunity of bringing up the question of the catheads, just as a throw in if anyone is interested in the question. Interestingly, the model in the NMM doesn't have any, while the kit has added them. It took me a little while, when the model kit came out, to realise why I thought it looked a bit odd. Three of the eight NMM plans that I found do show them, so I presume that they were left out of the museum model because it was an initial model of a concept - something that has been debated in this forum.

Tony

Thank you Tony.

Until I looked closely at your photos, I hadn't realised that the catheads were missing on the RMG model. There are also one or two other differences that I've picked up, like the covered companionway that doesn't appear on the body plan and the smaller stern platform.

I'm tending to base decisions on what looks right and what my skills will allow me to do.

David

David

 

Previous Builds

HM Cutter Hunter Mamoli 1:74

Baltic Ketch Scotland - Corel 1:64

HMS Fly - Swan Class ship sloop - Victory models 1:64

HMS Diana - Artois Class Heavy Frigate - Caldercraft - 1:64

HM Cutter Trial 1790 - Vanguard Models - 1:64 

18th Century Merchantman Half Hull - NRG-1:48 

 

Current Build

HMS Speedy 1782 2023 Edition - Vanguard Models - 1:64

 

Posted
45 minutes ago, dunnock said:

so I presume that they were left out of the museum model because it was an initial model of a concept - something that has been debated in this forum.

This may in fact be the case, but these models are hundreds of years old and many have been repaired, refinished, re-rigged, etc.   There could have been damage to the catheads from an incident or vermin and taken off the model.  The below photo from James Lees' Masting and Rigging English Ships of War is just one example of such damage.  The stem has been eaten away as was at least one of the catheads.  Both contemporary models and plans are fantastic sources but I would trust contemporary based as-built plans and even design plans before the models.   

Allan

Stemeatenaway.thumb.JPG.f301e09a30ba402eafa5976aa6d429bd.JPG

 

 

PLEASE take 30 SECONDS and sign up for the epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series.   Click on http://trafalgar.tv   There is no cost other than the 30 seconds of your time.  THANK YOU

 

Posted
5 hours ago, dunnock said:

Thanks Andrew although I'm not exactly sure what you mean by 'run in' but In Trial, I can't see any sheaves or attachments that would enable this to be done. What was the purpose of running the bowsprit in and out?

 

David

I assume for the examples I have seen, to save space in harbour and/or protect the protruding bowsprit, obviously only an option of smaller vessels with level bowsprits.  

Andrew
Current builds:- HM Gun-brig Sparkler - Vanguard (1/64) 
HMAV Bounty - Caldercraft (1/64)

Completed (Kits):-

Vanguard Models (1/64) :HM Cutter Trial , Nisha - Brixham trawler

Caldercraft (1/64) :- HMS Orestes(Mars)HM Cutter Sherbourne

Paper Shipwright (1/250) :- TSS Earnslaw, Puffer Starlight

 

Posted
4 hours ago, allanyed said:

This may in fact be the case, but these models are hundreds of years old and many have been repaired, refinished, re-rigged, etc.   There could have been damage to the catheads from an incident or vermin and taken off the model.  The below photo from James Lees' Masting and Rigging English Ships of War is just one example of such damage.  The stem has been eaten away as was at least one of the catheads.  Both contemporary models and plans are fantastic sources but I would trust contemporary based as-built plans and even design plans before the models.   

Allan

Stemeatenaway.thumb.JPG.f301e09a30ba402eafa5976aa6d429bd.JPG

 

 

The contemporary model of "Trial" is in good condition and think in this case it is more an "omission" - there a a good number of other discrepancies between the model and plans as already mentioned in this thread and threads elsewhere of same model.

 

Andrew
Current builds:- HM Gun-brig Sparkler - Vanguard (1/64) 
HMAV Bounty - Caldercraft (1/64)

Completed (Kits):-

Vanguard Models (1/64) :HM Cutter Trial , Nisha - Brixham trawler

Caldercraft (1/64) :- HMS Orestes(Mars)HM Cutter Sherbourne

Paper Shipwright (1/250) :- TSS Earnslaw, Puffer Starlight

 

Posted
On 12/10/2023 at 4:05 PM, AJohnson said:

Great detailing and research David.  For the bowsprit, were these fixed inboard, by that I mean were they ever “run in” like the bowsprits of some fishing vessels (I’m thinking of the Nisha here). Or were Naval Cutters different?  

I've been thinking a bit more about your question of run-in and run-out Andrew.

It would be possible in theory to run the bowsprit in as far as the main mast bitts but now I'm also wondering how the bowsprit was fixed to prevent it being run-in by the tension in the rigging. As far as I can see from the kit plans and photos of various models of cutter, there is only friction against the hull and bowsprit bitts preventing it from shooting aftward. There is no fid as in a topmast providing a physical stop so was friction sufficient?

Perhaps others have more information.

 

David

David

 

Previous Builds

HM Cutter Hunter Mamoli 1:74

Baltic Ketch Scotland - Corel 1:64

HMS Fly - Swan Class ship sloop - Victory models 1:64

HMS Diana - Artois Class Heavy Frigate - Caldercraft - 1:64

HM Cutter Trial 1790 - Vanguard Models - 1:64 

18th Century Merchantman Half Hull - NRG-1:48 

 

Current Build

HMS Speedy 1782 2023 Edition - Vanguard Models - 1:64

 

Posted
2 hours ago, dunnock said:

I've been thinking a bit more about your question of run-in and run-out Andrew.

It would be possible in theory to run the bowsprit in as far as the main mast bitts but now I'm also wondering how the bowsprit was fixed to prevent it being run-in by the tension in the rigging. As far as I can see from the kit plans and photos of various models of cutter, there is only friction against the hull and bowsprit bitts preventing it from shooting aftward. There is no fid as in a topmast providing a physical stop so was friction sufficient?

Perhaps others have more information.

 

David

It is a bit odd, there is also the question even if it is just friction, what if they wanted to shorten the bowsprit. Alert has holes to allow them to shorten it presumably to use less sail in worse conditions. The fact also that the end is round instead of square brings the problem of it potentially twisting.

 

If it were me I would probably consider squaring off the end and using some iron bars similar to the alert arrangement in Goodwin as I can't see how the arrangement from the contemporary model makes any sense. Maybe it was a simplification by the model maker? The plans show an iron ring holding the bowsprit against the stem which is not on the contemporary model either.

Posted
5 minutes ago, Thukydides said:

If it were me I would probably consider squaring off the end and using some iron bars similar to the alert arrangement in Goodwin as I can't see how the arrangement from the contemporary model makes any sense. Maybe it was a simplification by the model maker? The plans show an iron ring holding the bowsprit against the stem which is not on the contemporary model either.

Thanks for your thoughts Thukydides. The inboard end of the bowsprit is octagonal on the model although I see that most of the other pictures of cutters that I have seen show it as square.

I have looked for a copy of AotS Alert but I can only find copies in the US at around £120 plus postage - too much for me I'm afraid.

David

David

 

Previous Builds

HM Cutter Hunter Mamoli 1:74

Baltic Ketch Scotland - Corel 1:64

HMS Fly - Swan Class ship sloop - Victory models 1:64

HMS Diana - Artois Class Heavy Frigate - Caldercraft - 1:64

HM Cutter Trial 1790 - Vanguard Models - 1:64 

18th Century Merchantman Half Hull - NRG-1:48 

 

Current Build

HMS Speedy 1782 2023 Edition - Vanguard Models - 1:64

 

Posted

Hi Thukyidides,

 

I have been following your Alert log and it is looking very nice. You have added a lot of detail and upgraded many of them.

Thanks for pasting the drawing from Goodwin that clearly shows the fid passing through the bitts and bowsprit. I may try to add this detail to Trial hoping that it won't cause the sort of problems you had to contend with. It was a very good recovery by the way. I also notice the banding around the winch supports that don't feature on Trial.

David

David

 

Previous Builds

HM Cutter Hunter Mamoli 1:74

Baltic Ketch Scotland - Corel 1:64

HMS Fly - Swan Class ship sloop - Victory models 1:64

HMS Diana - Artois Class Heavy Frigate - Caldercraft - 1:64

HM Cutter Trial 1790 - Vanguard Models - 1:64 

18th Century Merchantman Half Hull - NRG-1:48 

 

Current Build

HMS Speedy 1782 2023 Edition - Vanguard Models - 1:64

 

Posted
1 hour ago, dunnock said:

Hi Thukyidides,

 

I have been following your Alert log and it is looking very nice. You have added a lot of detail and upgraded many of them.

Thanks for pasting the drawing from Goodwin that clearly shows the fid passing through the bitts and bowsprit. I may try to add this detail to Trial hoping that it won't cause the sort of problems you had to contend with. It was a very good recovery by the way. I also notice the banding around the winch supports that don't feature on Trial.

David

Ah yes, now I am looking back I see you already attached the deck fittings, for some reason I was thinking you hadn't done this yet.

 

You could go half way and just leave it as is, gluing the bowsprit into place to hold it. Then just stick the some metal bits in the sides of the bitts to simulate the look of the fid going through the bowsprit. At least then it would make logical sense as the wooden crosspiece keeps it form flipping up and the fake fid stops it from sliding back. That would be much less messy than doing what I did. Getting the holes drilled all the way through straight was a royal pain.

Posted

That's a good idea Thukydides.

I'll give it a go

David 

David

 

Previous Builds

HM Cutter Hunter Mamoli 1:74

Baltic Ketch Scotland - Corel 1:64

HMS Fly - Swan Class ship sloop - Victory models 1:64

HMS Diana - Artois Class Heavy Frigate - Caldercraft - 1:64

HM Cutter Trial 1790 - Vanguard Models - 1:64 

18th Century Merchantman Half Hull - NRG-1:48 

 

Current Build

HMS Speedy 1782 2023 Edition - Vanguard Models - 1:64

 

Posted

The Yards

I have used the plan dimensions for the main and topmast yards but I made the central quarter at the slings octagonal which I think is more correct than leaving it round as per the plans.

I wasn’t sure whether sling or stop cleats would be fitted at the slings but in the end decided to go with the pearwood stop cleats provided for both slings and yard arms. I’ve yet to add the stunsail boom irons and I will probably scratch these from styrene tube rather than use the PE brass parts which look a little thin to my eye. Lees also shows that the inner boom irons are only fitted around ¾ of the circumference of the yard rather than being a complete band.

 

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The plans show the stunsail booms are 1mm diam. at the ends but 1.2mm was as far as I was prepared to go.

 

I decide to beef up the boom saddle on the lower mast by adding a second piece of pearwood

 

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This is the completed set of masts and yards

 

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Onward to the lower mast rigging

David

David

 

Previous Builds

HM Cutter Hunter Mamoli 1:74

Baltic Ketch Scotland - Corel 1:64

HMS Fly - Swan Class ship sloop - Victory models 1:64

HMS Diana - Artois Class Heavy Frigate - Caldercraft - 1:64

HM Cutter Trial 1790 - Vanguard Models - 1:64 

18th Century Merchantman Half Hull - NRG-1:48 

 

Current Build

HMS Speedy 1782 2023 Edition - Vanguard Models - 1:64

 

Posted

Lower Mast Rigging

 

With only one mast to worry about, there is only a small amount of serving of ropes needed so I decided to prepare all the ropes before rigging them. I have used dark brown cotton ropes from Ropes of Scale for all this standing rigging.

First off and not included on the kit plans are the pendant tackles. I used 0.6mm rope and they are fully served with Gutermann dark brown sewing thread . They come to about 1/3 of the way down the mast. I drilled out some 5mm deadeyes for the thimbles but when the pendants were put up on the mast they looked oversized and I replace them with drilled out 3.5mm deadeyes that look more in scale.

The oversized thimbles compared with a 3.5mm deadeye
The 5mm thimbles compared with a 3.5mm deadeye

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The finished pendants of tackles using drilled out 3.5mm deadeyes

 

Next are the shrouds which I also made from 0.6mm rope. The foremost pair of shrouds are served along their whole length (in reality they were wormed and parcelled before serving) The other three pairs are served to about 8’ (scale 38mm) below the stop of the hounds.

The pendants for the running backstays are then fitted. I used 0.45mm rope and made them to be 140 mm long. I also served these pendants for 38mm below the stop.

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Finally the forestay. This is 1.2mm rope served to 40mm below the mouse. An eye is made in the end of the rope The mouse is not shown on the rigging plan but I can’t see how the eye can be held in place on the rope without one. I made it from two pieces of styrene tube the smaller glued inside the larger.

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The former made from 1mm and 2mm styrene tube

 

This former is wrapped in stretch fabric sport strapping which has a nice texture to simulate the cross threading. Initially I coloured the mouse in walnut wood stain which dissolved all the glue on the covering. So after I recovered it with fresh strapping, I painted it in dilute acrylic paint.

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The stay in position with the pendants, shrouds and backstays

 

The mast is not fixed in place yet as, once I've got the correct length, I think it might be easier to fit the deadeyes off-model.

 

Thanks for the likes and continuing to look in

David

 

David

 

Previous Builds

HM Cutter Hunter Mamoli 1:74

Baltic Ketch Scotland - Corel 1:64

HMS Fly - Swan Class ship sloop - Victory models 1:64

HMS Diana - Artois Class Heavy Frigate - Caldercraft - 1:64

HM Cutter Trial 1790 - Vanguard Models - 1:64 

18th Century Merchantman Half Hull - NRG-1:48 

 

Current Build

HMS Speedy 1782 2023 Edition - Vanguard Models - 1:64

 

Posted

My apologies.

 

In the above post I forgot to acknowledge that the inspiration for using the pieces of styrene tube for the mouse former came after looking at the Alert build by @Blue Ensign 

In previous builds I have used a piece of shaped dowel as a former and on Diana I used the serving machine to build up layers of a heavier thread. I found the styrene tubing much the easiest method.

 

David

David

 

Previous Builds

HM Cutter Hunter Mamoli 1:74

Baltic Ketch Scotland - Corel 1:64

HMS Fly - Swan Class ship sloop - Victory models 1:64

HMS Diana - Artois Class Heavy Frigate - Caldercraft - 1:64

HM Cutter Trial 1790 - Vanguard Models - 1:64 

18th Century Merchantman Half Hull - NRG-1:48 

 

Current Build

HMS Speedy 1782 2023 Edition - Vanguard Models - 1:64

 

Posted

Thank you for all the likes and continuing encouragement.

 

The Shrouds

 

No matter how methodically I try to approach fitting the shrouds, I always find it difficult to get the lengths even. The usual method of making wire jigs to achieve the correct spacing between deadeyes has never seemed to work for me. You think that you have got it exactly right and then you put on the seizings and find that the shroud is too short or too long. It’s a further complication putting on a cross seizing as the first one.

This time I have abandoned the idea of jigs and resorted to straight measurements and marking the position of the bottom the deadeye with a thread. I did have to redo one pair of shrouds but for the most part this has worked pretty well.

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Being a small ship, I found that I could work the seizings well enough with the shrouds attached to the model using my quad hands set up so didn’t bother with my previous idea of stripping the mast and working off model.

I have used 0.25mm thread for the lanyards. I thought the suggested 0.1mm too thin.

I will not finally fix the tension in the shrouds until later in the process of standing rigging

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The Mainstay

I have tied in the deadeye for the stay in the same way as the shrouds with a cross seizing and two standard seizings. This differs from the RMG model which shows the stay wrapped around itself and seized together down the side of the deadeye. According to Lees this method of fixing the mainstay was used after 1840 but was it adopted earlier on cutters and smaller ships?

I used 0.5mm rope for the lanyard and threaded it according to the plan, i.e. starting in the foremost hole of the stem with the knot on the starboard side and working the rope through the deadeye. The RMG model again differs and shows the knot on the port side. The lanyard will not be tied off until later.

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I have spent a bit of time tidying up the bow fixtures. Following Thukydidies suggestion, I have added a false bowsprit fid using pieces cut off scrap pearwood. I have also added some ‘iron’ strapping to the winch brackets and threaded the anchor cables. The cables are wrapped once around the winch drum before passing them through the hawse holes. Natural drape was induced by brushing with dilute matt varnish.

 

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David

David

 

Previous Builds

HM Cutter Hunter Mamoli 1:74

Baltic Ketch Scotland - Corel 1:64

HMS Fly - Swan Class ship sloop - Victory models 1:64

HMS Diana - Artois Class Heavy Frigate - Caldercraft - 1:64

HM Cutter Trial 1790 - Vanguard Models - 1:64 

18th Century Merchantman Half Hull - NRG-1:48 

 

Current Build

HMS Speedy 1782 2023 Edition - Vanguard Models - 1:64

 

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

Time flies, I see that it has been nearly a month since I last wrote anything in this log. My wife bought me the set of pearwood blocks from Vanguard for Christmas so work can now continue.

Backstays

First off is to make the long block. The ends of a 3 and 4mm block are filed square and glued together with pva. A 0.45mm rope is seized on and threaded through the pendant block down to a 2.5mm hook that fixes to an eyebolt in front of the 5th gun port.

The block of the falls are hooked into an eyebolt forward of the 4th gun port and the falls lead twice through the long block and are belayed to the cavel cleat.

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I can now tighten up the main stay lanyard but I will leave finally tying it off for the moment.

 

Driver Boom

Parrel beads from the kit are used on both driver and main booms. I was hoping to leave it later in the build but I had to fit the topmast because the mast cap has to be in place to run the rigging for the gaff and I couldn’t fit this without the topmast.

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The blocks at the mast head were originally tied to eybolts but I removed them and tied them on with strops made from 0.45mm served line. I also added cleats to the forward side of the mast head to prevent the strops from slipping.

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I will have to remove the main yard lift blocks from the eyebolts and tie them to a strop clove-hitched around the mast cap which I think is as they should be. I have made this awkward now. It should have been done before fitting the driver boom.

 

The lower block of the peak halliard is hooked into the eyebolt on the boom and is fed through the block on the mast and run down to the bar of the main bitts The gaff halliard is seized to the eyebolt on the cap through the blocks on the boom and the double block on the mast head and belayed at the rack on the starboard side.

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The flag halliard is then set up and the tied off to the bar on the tafferel. The gaff and flag halliards are finally set up together to achieve a balanced tension in the two ropes.

 

This where I got a little puzzled. The plans show the lower block of the flag halliard to be on the starboard side of the bar and then tied off at the port side. The photos in the manual show that the block and the belay point are both on the starboard side of the bar. When it comes to fitting the main boom the latter arrangement makes more sense so this is what I have gone with.

DSC09928_600.JPG.a78e72049609bdcf3f98bad5611cc479.JPG

Thanks for looking in

David

 

David

 

Previous Builds

HM Cutter Hunter Mamoli 1:74

Baltic Ketch Scotland - Corel 1:64

HMS Fly - Swan Class ship sloop - Victory models 1:64

HMS Diana - Artois Class Heavy Frigate - Caldercraft - 1:64

HM Cutter Trial 1790 - Vanguard Models - 1:64 

18th Century Merchantman Half Hull - NRG-1:48 

 

Current Build

HMS Speedy 1782 2023 Edition - Vanguard Models - 1:64

 

Posted

Looking good David, hope you had a good Christmas break, see you have been busy.  Thanks for the tips on the order of doing some of the rigging. 

Andrew
Current builds:- HM Gun-brig Sparkler - Vanguard (1/64) 
HMAV Bounty - Caldercraft (1/64)

Completed (Kits):-

Vanguard Models (1/64) :HM Cutter Trial , Nisha - Brixham trawler

Caldercraft (1/64) :- HMS Orestes(Mars)HM Cutter Sherbourne

Paper Shipwright (1/250) :- TSS Earnslaw, Puffer Starlight

 

Posted

Main Boom Topping Lift

 

Before going to the topping lift, I have repositioned the main yard lift blocks. They are now clove-hitched around the mast cap using 0.45mm served rope - more in-keeping with the way they are shown on the RMG model.

image.jpeg.e72aca7e8b0da5f9a14752ad4150b442.jpeg

 

The topping lift is first tied to the eyebolt at the mast head, leads through the block on the end of the boom and back up to the single block on the mast. It ends in a single block about 70mm above the rail. The block of the falls is hooked to an eyebolt on the starboard channel. The rope feeds through the block in the topping lift and is belayed at a cavel cleat.

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Herein lies my dilemma.

According to the plan the falls are tied off to the cavel cleat (5) abaft the third starboard gun port. However this is also labelled #1 to which the starboard  backstay is tied off. I have never come across two ropes being tied off to the same belay point.

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Is this correct or am I misinterpreting the plans?

Looking further ahead the topsail yard tie is belayed to cavel cleat #7 on the port side. However this is also designated as #1 where the port back stay is already tied off.

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One solution would be to tie the topping lift falls and topsail yard tie to the nearest belay point on the pin rail. To tie each off to the cavel cleats further aft definitely looks wrong. On photos of the RMG model they seem to be tied off at the rail but I can't see any way of doing this. Any other suggestions, solutions or clarifications would be very welcome.

While thinking about this, I have completed tying all the ratlines using Gutterman dark brown thread.

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First tie every fifth ratline

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Then fill in the gaps and repeat on other side.

 

Thanks for looking in and as always, for all the likes and encouragement.

David

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David

 

Previous Builds

HM Cutter Hunter Mamoli 1:74

Baltic Ketch Scotland - Corel 1:64

HMS Fly - Swan Class ship sloop - Victory models 1:64

HMS Diana - Artois Class Heavy Frigate - Caldercraft - 1:64

HM Cutter Trial 1790 - Vanguard Models - 1:64 

18th Century Merchantman Half Hull - NRG-1:48 

 

Current Build

HMS Speedy 1782 2023 Edition - Vanguard Models - 1:64

 

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Main Yard

The main yard is pinned and glued to the mast. The sling is made from 0.45mm served rope. An eye is seized in one end and a thimble seized off centre such that the eye sits on the starboard side of the mast. The difficulty is getting the correct length so that there is enough distance to tie the lanyard between the two thimbles on yard and sling.

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I think that the sling could have been a little shorter in hindsight but I will leave it as it is.

 

The main yard shows a double parrel on the NMG model but Lees says that parrels were superseded by rope truss pendants about 1760. I decided to go with parrels. Tricky to fit making sure that the parrel ropes are not tide up with horses or other lines running down aft of the mast.

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Now that they are fitted they look slightly over size and too bright.

 

I have stripped back some of the running rigging. I thought that using the line supplied in the kit would be OK but there is quite a contrast between that and the RoS line that I had used for e.g. the flag halliard. It was causing quite a clash to my eyes so I have decided to order more rope and strip out the kit lines.

 

I have also swapped out the parrel beads on the main and driver booms. The beads in the kit were black and shiny and didn’t look right so I have replaced them with some wooden beads from CMB.

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Like the main yard, now that they are fitted, they look too bright and oversized. I may have to redo the booms or at least darken the trucks so that they are less obtrusive.

 

In the meantime, while waiting for ropes and mulling over parrels, I have begun another project – the NRG Half Hull which I will post  later today.

Thanks for looking in.

David

 

 

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David

 

Previous Builds

HM Cutter Hunter Mamoli 1:74

Baltic Ketch Scotland - Corel 1:64

HMS Fly - Swan Class ship sloop - Victory models 1:64

HMS Diana - Artois Class Heavy Frigate - Caldercraft - 1:64

HM Cutter Trial 1790 - Vanguard Models - 1:64 

18th Century Merchantman Half Hull - NRG-1:48 

 

Current Build

HMS Speedy 1782 2023 Edition - Vanguard Models - 1:64

 

Posted

Thanks Glenn and to others for their likes.

 

I've been working on the half hull for the last week or so but fresh supplies of rope have now arrived so I'll be coming back to Trial (guilty as charged 😉) after my trip to Scotland for a bit of birding and hill-walking next week.

 

David

David

 

Previous Builds

HM Cutter Hunter Mamoli 1:74

Baltic Ketch Scotland - Corel 1:64

HMS Fly - Swan Class ship sloop - Victory models 1:64

HMS Diana - Artois Class Heavy Frigate - Caldercraft - 1:64

HM Cutter Trial 1790 - Vanguard Models - 1:64 

18th Century Merchantman Half Hull - NRG-1:48 

 

Current Build

HMS Speedy 1782 2023 Edition - Vanguard Models - 1:64

 

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

I have redone the parrels for a third time, staining them with walnut wood dye to darken them and take the shine off.

I’m back from a very windy trip to Scotland and the ropes have arrived from Canada so rigging can continue.

 

First though, I’m still puzzling about the main yard and its parrel. I found a copy of Marquardt’s 18th Century Rigs and Rigging in the UK so splashed out for it. In the section on cutters, his drawing on page 132 shows the yard running on a horse with a halyard running down to the deck. The kit plans show that the main yard floats free of the mast on its sling but the RMG model shows both a sling and parrels. I don’t understand the reason for fitting both since if the yard is on a sling, it can’t easily be raised or lowered so why fit parrels?

I planned to follow the rigging on the model of Trial as closely as I can, so I will leave the main yard with parrel and sling but I’m not sure that it makes much sense

 

The main yard lifts are fitted using 0.6mm rope. They feed through the 4mm blocks stropped to the mast cap. Tricky tying them to the small belay pins that I’ve used but with a bit of dilute pva and patience, I got there in the end. I forgot to take photos at the time so the next two shots also include topsail rigging.

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The Topsail Yard

Like the main yard, I pinned it in place to make it easier to rig. The topsail yard tye is looped around the yard and passes through a sheave in the mast head. There is a 4mm double block spliced in the end. The fall leads to a block hooked into the eyebolt on the port channel and is tied off to the aft cavel cleat.

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Topsail Lifts are tied to the yard ends run through the thimbles at the mast head and down to the pin racks.

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The topsail sheet is set up with an eye and leads through the sheaves in the yardarm to the crossbeam of the main bitts. The clueline is timber-hitched to the yard and runs through a 4mm block toggled to the sheet and then up through the block on the yard and down to the outside of the main bitts.

 

 

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There is another conundrum relating to the RMG model of Trial. The photos taken by @tkay11 show a second set of sheaves in the main yard. It’s difficult to see, but it looks as if two ropes run through each sheave from a block stopped to the mast cap. I presume that the rope runs to the deck but I can find no reference to this piece of rigging in either Lees, Steel or Marquardt. I added this second set of sheaves when I made the main yard but I can't rig them until I can be sure how it runs.

 

I have left fitting the bowsprit until last because once fitted, turning the model becomes more difficult but it can’t be delayed any longer.

 

Thanks for looking in and for the likes.

David

David

 

Previous Builds

HM Cutter Hunter Mamoli 1:74

Baltic Ketch Scotland - Corel 1:64

HMS Fly - Swan Class ship sloop - Victory models 1:64

HMS Diana - Artois Class Heavy Frigate - Caldercraft - 1:64

HM Cutter Trial 1790 - Vanguard Models - 1:64 

18th Century Merchantman Half Hull - NRG-1:48 

 

Current Build

HMS Speedy 1782 2023 Edition - Vanguard Models - 1:64

 

Posted
12 minutes ago, dunnock said:

There is another conundrum relating to the RMG model of Trial. The photos taken by @tkay11 show a second set of sheaves in the main yard. It’s difficult to see, but it looks as if two ropes run through each sheave from a block stopped to the mast cap. I presume that the rope runs to the deck but I can find no reference to this piece of rigging in either Lees, Steel or Marquardt. I added this second set of sheaves when I made the main yard but I can't rig them until I can be sure how it runs.

I am not exactly sure which ones you mean, but if it is the ones I think they are it looks like at least one end is secured to the bits. See below:

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Posted (edited)

Hi David,

 

Glad you back safely from the ‘wilds’ of Scotland and hope not all your birds were blown to cover and you managed to spot some. 


Like you I have been puzzling over the rigging of the RMG model and trying to work out what to do, but fortunately I’m a bit behind you in my build, so will shamelessly copy you when the time comes!

 

For instance the RMG model doesn’t have yard braces running to the stern, only the ones running to the bowsprit, though many other cutter models do have these both fitted, is that right, or is it a case of either/or?  There are triangular fillets at the stern that in other cutter model have belays for the main sheet, yard braces and flag halliards. What do you think of those David. 
 

Very nicely done rigging, looking forward to seeing the “pointy” end done. 

Edited by AJohnson

Andrew
Current builds:- HM Gun-brig Sparkler - Vanguard (1/64) 
HMAV Bounty - Caldercraft (1/64)

Completed (Kits):-

Vanguard Models (1/64) :HM Cutter Trial , Nisha - Brixham trawler

Caldercraft (1/64) :- HMS Orestes(Mars)HM Cutter Sherbourne

Paper Shipwright (1/250) :- TSS Earnslaw, Puffer Starlight

 

Posted

Thanks Thukydides and Andrew for your inputs.

Thuky this is bit of rigging I mean- sorry for not being clear.

Mysteryrig.jpg.c059e8fad9456a0a86dc7eb409ad82c9.jpg

The arrow indicates the ropes in question which I think run up to a block on a long strop at the cap and then probably down to the main bitts as you say. Perhaps the fixed end is tied to a bolt on the cap runs through the sheave on the yard, up to the block at the cap and then down to the bitts. But what is it for?

 

Andrew,

I was wondering about the the braces running to the stern and was undecided about fitting them. I think that if I can make a convincing job, I will add them presuming the fixed end is tied to an eyebolt at the stern. I'm not sure what you mean about the stern fillets. I have brought the flag halliard down to the bar on the stern transom. 

 

David

David

 

Previous Builds

HM Cutter Hunter Mamoli 1:74

Baltic Ketch Scotland - Corel 1:64

HMS Fly - Swan Class ship sloop - Victory models 1:64

HMS Diana - Artois Class Heavy Frigate - Caldercraft - 1:64

HM Cutter Trial 1790 - Vanguard Models - 1:64 

18th Century Merchantman Half Hull - NRG-1:48 

 

Current Build

HMS Speedy 1782 2023 Edition - Vanguard Models - 1:64

 

Posted

Thanks for the likes, encouragement and helpful comments

 

The Ropes at the front End

 

I made the traveller some time ago and kept it safe with a note on the plans not to forget it.. Not a part of the kit, so I made it from a piece of brass strip, formed around a dowel a quarter larger than the thickest part of the bowsprit. I threaded a hook on to the traveller before soldering the ends together . The ring was made from wire bent to shape and hooked on to the ring. In hindsight, The whole assembly was treated with brass black. I don’t think the hook is required but having nothing else to go on, I modelled it on the one I made for Diana.

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I haven’t used the PE pieces supplied in the kit to tie off a lot of the rigging at the forward end of the sprit but followed @Blue Ensign's description of the cranse in his Alert log.. Heat shrink tubing and three 2mm eyebolts were used. A 5mm triple block was tied to the top eyebolt for the topmast stay and main braces.

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The topmast stay is made from 0.45mm rope served for 40mm below the mast. The stay passes through the centre sheave of the bowsprit block and ends in a thimble. A 0.25mm lanyard connects the stay to a thimble seized to the eyebolt at the stem.

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The braces are made from 0.45mm rope with a hook seized in the forward end and a thimble in the after part. They are hooked into the eyebolts at the bowsprit and lashed with a lanyard to the thimbles tied to eyebolts in the bow just beyond the catheads. Before final fitting, I checked that the anchors don’t foul the braces when raised or lowered.

 

There is no bobstay in the kit plans but one is clearly shown on the RMG model and I have tried to copy its form. I spliced a 4mm block to the bowsprit. The bobstay is 6mm rope and has a 4mm block seized in the forward end and passes through a hole in the stem and is spliced to itself. The tackle is 0.35mm rope and I have tied it off at a timberhead in the bow.

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The jib halyard, outhauler and inhauler took a bit of working out and then I realised that I had forgotten to form a sheave in the bowsprit.

For the halyard, I am again grateful to BE and his Alert log for his excellent analysis and explanations taken from Steel and Marquardt.

I seized a 4mm block in a served strop which is spliced around the starboard side of the mast cap. The halyard is psliced to the ring of the traveller passes through the block at the mast cap and ends in a 4mm double block. The fall is made from a 3.5mm single block hooked to an eyebolt into an eyebolt on the deck beside the mast. The outhauler is spliced to the traveller ring and passes through the sheave in the sprit and leads back to the bowsprit bitts The inhauler is tied off to the starboard side of the bitts.

 

DSC00032_600.JPG.c0d4fbebcb3daae263b48d329ae32a0c.JPGThe halyard falls

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Sorry I forgot to take a lot photos of the intermediate stages. I will try to do better

 

On the home straight now with just braces and the anchor to add and then a lot of tidying up before making hanks.

 

David

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David

 

Previous Builds

HM Cutter Hunter Mamoli 1:74

Baltic Ketch Scotland - Corel 1:64

HMS Fly - Swan Class ship sloop - Victory models 1:64

HMS Diana - Artois Class Heavy Frigate - Caldercraft - 1:64

HM Cutter Trial 1790 - Vanguard Models - 1:64 

18th Century Merchantman Half Hull - NRG-1:48 

 

Current Build

HMS Speedy 1782 2023 Edition - Vanguard Models - 1:64

 

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